Conquering Hoenn
by DiscoStu09
Summary: Divergence in 'Gotta Catch Ya Later' Gary tells Ash that he needs to grow up if he wants to become good enough to win a Pokemon League. This has a major impact in on Ash and his journey in the Hoenn region. Now Ash is more determined than ever to conquer the Hoenn League. Smarter/Progressively more mature Ash. AdvanceShipping.
1. Divergence

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.**

* * *

**This story starts in the episode, Gotta Catch Ya Later, where Ash is chasing after Gary. This story will divert from what Gary tells Ash and it will have a major impact on Ash. This is what I think the Hoenn saga could've been like if Ash aged, and matured.**

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Divergence**

* * *

"Hey Gary! Gary! Wait up!" Ash shouted impatiently as the young trainer from Pallet town ran up a steep hill to where his rival – former – rival, he should say, waited for him. His most loyal companion, Pikachu, trailed not too far behind him.

"What's up, Ash?" Gary Oak, former Pokémon trainer and now aspiring Pokémon researcher, asked him curiously.

A few seconds later Ash stopped in front of him before bent over and rested his hands on his knees. The young trainer sucked in the air; he had run quite a far way from Professor Oak's lab to reach here.

"Have you come to say goodbye, Ash?" Gary asked him.

"Yeah." Ash panted.

"Thanks Ash." Gary said gratefully.

Ash straightened his back and he looked Gary in the eyes after getting his breath back, "Why are you leaving so soon?"

"I don't know. It's just like I need to keep on moving." Gary informed him, "I want to keep travelling and learning more about Pokémon. So Ash, what is your plan of attack going to be?"

"I'm not sure yet." Ash replied.

Gary frowned for a moment. For most of his life he hadn't rated Ash as someone that could become a good Pokémon trainer but throughout his journey in Johto, that opinion began to change. Ash could come up with some amazing strategies on a fly and he had some powerful Pokémon, like his Charizard. However there were still issues that Ash had that would prevent him from winning and league and then taking on the Elite four to become a Pokémon Champion. He wondered for a moment if he should tell his friend this and he decided that, while his words might seem harsh, he hoped that it would have a positive effect on Ash in the long run.

"I need to tell you something, Ash." Gary told him seriously.

"What is it?" Ash asked him with a confused face.

"You need to grow up if you want to be good enough to win a league." Gary said bluntly.

"What?! I beat you, didn't I?!" Ash said angrily.

"Pika!" the electric mouse also piped up with an angry expression on his face.

Gary's calm demeanour didn't change and he explained, "Yes, you did beat me Ash. However that isn't the same as winning a league. For most of my journey, I was distracted by my interest in learning about Pokémon and their evolutions and I didn't spend as much time training them as I should have."

"I still don't understand how this is related to me." A puzzled Ash told him.

"Do you remember our battle Ash? Your Charizard defeated three of my Pokémon. The problem that you have is that you rely on your Charizard or Pikachu to pull off big wins." Gary explained to his friend, "Those two are your strongest Pokémon and there is a fair gap between them and the rest of your Pokémon. Do you remember that time back when we were at my grandpa's lab and he checked our Pokédex?"

Ash nodded, "Yeah, I remember that he said I had seen a lot of Pokémon but I had only caught a small amount."

"And he said that I had seen less but caught a lot more." Gary reminded him, "And do you remember the argument that we had afterwards?"

Ash could recall that argument clearly. Ash didn't think that it was a good strategy because you couldn't befriend such a large amount of Pokémon but Gary believed that he needed a good large variety of Pokémon.

"We were both wrong, Ash." Gary shocked Ash with his comment. Ash never thought that the day would come that Gary Oak admit that he was wrong. "You have too little Pokémon, Ash and I have far too many. You need to find the right balance and you need to stop catching the same kinds of Pokémon."

"What do you mean?" Ash questioned him, "I have plenty of different kinds of Pokémon."

"You have a decent mix of different types of Pokémon but the way that they battle is very similar." Gary told him sharply, "Most of your Pokémon are quick and hard hitters Ash. That is the way that you like to battle. You use a fast but powerful offensive strategy. Apart from Snorlax, you don't have any Pokémon that can slow the tempo and grind a long and hard win. You need to learn when it is good to use your natural battle style and the times when to change it up. That is the reason why you lost to Harrison. The both of you had a similar battling style and in the end it came down to your strongest Pokémon."

Ash frowned and he had a thoughtful look on his face as he thought about what Gary was telling him.

"You should also start going out on your own." Gary informed him, "You did a smart thing by travelling with your friends Misty and Brock, especially Brock. However you're at the point where you have to stop relying on them and start taking care of yourself. It is the only way you can grow up and mature."

"I don't know. I don't think that I can travel on my own, well not alone; I have Pikachu with me, of course. However I think it would be pretty boring without any more people around." Ash glanced at his little companion.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed happily.

Gary shrugged, "It's just a suggestion, Ashy-boy. It's up to you if you want to take my advice or not. Before I leave I just want to you to ponder one final question. How does travelling with you, help your friend Brock achieve his dream?"

Ash couldn't find an answer to respond and Gary farewelled his friend but not before Ash gave him back half the Poké Ball that they had broke before they had begun their journeys. The grandson of Professor Oak soon headed off into the forest eager to start his own journey to become a Pokémon researcher.

Fifteen minutes after Gary had departed, Ash and Pikachu both sat on a branch in a high tree and they could easily see the whole town of Pallet from their position.

"Do you think Gary is right, Pikachu?" Ash asked his most trusted companion. "Most of my Pokémon do seem to be quick and strong, don't they?"

"Pika." The electric mouse nodded in agreement.

"What about Brock?" Ash asked the electric Pokémon, "How _is_ he going to achieve his dream travelling with us?"

"Chu..." Pikachu said sadly. He didn't know either.

"I suppose he can see a lot of different Pokémon but that's about it." Ash said, "He was always more preoccupied with cooking us meals, taking care of his Pokémon and doing general chores around the camp... Gary is right! We do rely on him a lot, don't we?"

Pikachu nodded.

"I'll give him a call when I get back home. It would be best to get his opinion on this." Ash decided, "Everything is changing Pikachu, I don't think I like it."

"Pikapi!" Pikachu shouted and he pointed high into the sky. Ash looked up into the sky and out of a large cloud; he was astonished to see Ho-oh flying serenely through the air. Its beauty was so majestic and Ash couldn't take his eyes off it. The only Pokémon that he had ever seen that had the same awe inspiring beauty and gracefulness was the Lugia he had become friends with back in the Orange Islands.

"It's Ho-oh!"

The two of them watched it fly off in the direction that Ash knew the Hoenn region was located in.

"I know where it is headed. It's going to the Hoenn region. That's where all the Pokémon that I haven't seen before are and all of the battles that I am destined to fight in. Are you ready, Pikachu?!" Ash said in excitement.

"Pikachu!" the electric mouse equalled his trainer's excitement.

They both eagerly jumped off the branched and they landed easily on the soft terrain.

"I hate to do this to mum, but we can be just like Gary and start a whole new journey too!"

"Pika!"

Just as they began to run home, they didn't far because they ran over a concealed hole and they fell harshly in.

"I wasn't prepared for that," Ash muttered painfully, "and to be frank, I'm getting really irritated falling into holes."

Ash and Pikachu immediately knew who had dug this hole and the trio of laughs above them just confirmed it.

"Prepare for trouble,  
and Make it double!  
To protect the world from devastation,  
to unite all people within our nation,  
to denounce the evil of truth and love,  
to extend our reach to the stars of above,  
Jessie!  
James!  
Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!  
Surrender now or prepare to fight!  
Meowth, that's Right!"

"Team Rocket..." Ash said unsurprised.

The Team Rocket trio that consisted of Jessie, James and Meowth grinned down at them smugly.

"We're making a new start too and that is by going back to our reliable pit fall." Jessie informed them.

"This time however we dug it just a little bit deeper, that's the new part." James told them.

"And now you're in a whole lot of trouble." Meowth said smugly.

It had been a long day for Ash Ketchum after everything that Gary had told him and he wasn't in the mood for all of this. He quickly picked up Pikachu and he threw the electric mouse up into the air much to Team Rocket's shock. For a moment they thought that he was finally giving Pikachu up but unfortunately for them, that wasn't the case.

"Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" Ash ordered.

Pikachu smirked widely when he landed back on the ground just in front of Team Rocket and he unleashed a large burst of electricity at the trio. Team Rocket screamed in pain and when Pikachu finally let up on the attack, they fell to the ground.

Back in the hole, Ash pulled out the knife and fork that Brock had given him for his lunch and he used them to climb out of the hole.

"Nice work, Pikachu." Ash praised him when he was out of the hole.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed appreciatively.

"Why haven't we blasted off?" James wondered painfully.

"Because we need to talk!" Ash scowled at them.

"We have no interest in talking to you, twerp." Jessie growled but she couldn't get back up yet. She could still feel some shocks going through her body.

"Too bad because I'm telling you all once and for all to leave us alone!" Ash snapped at them.

"Not until we capture Pikachu." Meowth groaned.

"You do know that you have been trying that for almost 3 years right?" Ash asked them dully, "This whole time you could have simply captured a wild Pikachu and then trained it instead of being beaten every time like a pack of losers."

"How dare you address us that way, twerp!" Jessie snarled at him.

"I'm just speaking the truth," Ash shrugged, "besides does your boss even know your names?"

The trio looked startled at the question and they weren't able to come up with a decent answer because they truly didn't know if the boss knew who they were. As for Meowth, the boss didn't exactly hesitate to replace him with a Pokémon that he despised more than anything, a Persian.

"Do you really think that your boss is going to praise you by bringing Pikachu in after years of failed attempts to capture him?" Ash inquired, "I mean really think about it. Considering how big the Team Rocket organisation is, will you boss be impressed with you bringing in a Pikachu that he could easily catch in the wild?"

"You know, the twerp has a point." James admitted.

"I know! I am as shocked as you are!" Meowth exclaimed.

"Don't listen to him!" Jessie snapped at them, "Don't forget how powerful his Pikachu is!"

"Pikachu's strength comes from training and the bond between us." Ash told her, "Even if by some terrible miracle that you were able to take Pikachu, he would never fight for you and so you wouldn't be able to unleash his full power. Besides a leader of an evil organisation such as Team Rocket would only be interested in rare and legendary type Pokémon and Pikachu doesn't fall into any of those categories."

Jessie couldn't come up with a retort to that.

"Hopefully that sinks in. Now you can all go off and try to capture rare and legendary Pokémon or you can quit Team Rocket." Ash told them.

"You're joking!" Jessie spat furiously, "Why would we leave Team Rocket?"

"If you want to keep on being failures than stay with Team Rocket, but I saw the good inside of you the day that you help me save the world back at Shamouti Island. You all do some much better if you embraced that goodness inside of you. Meowth... do you realise that you can talk?"

"Of course I can talk, you idiot!" Meowth shouted annoyed.

"Don't you understand how rare that is for a Pokémon to talk in the common tongue?" Ash pointed out, "You could become a Pokémon translator. Do you know how many people would love to find out what their Pokémon thought about them?"

"You're right!" Meowth gasped.

"Why haven't we thought of this before?!" James said in astonishment.

"Think of all the money we could rake in!" Jessie exclaimed.

"Even more astonishing... is that it would be perfectly legal!" Meowth realised, "We would actually not have to worry about getting busted!"

Ash grinned at them before he turned away, "Goodbye Jessie, James and Meowth. The five of us has been through a lot, and you have angered me a lot over the years, but I wish you luck on all of your future endeavours."

Pikachu saluted them before he jumped onto Ash's shoulder and Ash walked away from them.

"He's just walking away..." James muttered in disbelief.

"And we are just letting him..." Jessie realised.

"He has just given us a great idea... I think we can let him keep his Pikachu." Meowth decided.

"You're right, Meowth. It would be rude of us to steal his Pikachu after he had just given us such a great idea." James agreed with his furry friend.

"Forget the twerp, we have money to make!" Jessie declared.

The trio and Ash wouldn't see each other again for a long time.

* * *

**Professor Oak's Laboratory**

Ash and Pikachu arrived at the Professor's lab to tell him about his plans. Hopefully now he would be able to focus on his Pokémon training without having to worry about Team Rocket interfering. Ash found Professor Oak and Tracey in the living room looking over some of the Professor's old sketches and comparing them to some of Tracey's new ones.

"Hello, Ash." The Professor greeted Ash when he noticed him enter the room, "What can I do for you today?"

"I'm just here to tell you that I am heading out tomorrow." Ash informed them.

"Already?" Tracey asked surprised, "Where are you going?"

"To the Hoenn region," Ash grinned at him, "there are a lot of Pokémon there that I have never seen before and I want to hurry and experience it all."

"I'm not surprised." The old man chuckled, "I updated your Pokédex back at the Silver Conference so you're up to date there. Which Pokémon will you be taking?"

"Pikachu, of course." Ash grinned.

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted and he puffed out his chest.

"I'll also take... Cyndaquil and Totodile." Ash decided, "Also can I have Pidgeot's old Poké Ball?"

"Why do you need it?" Professor Oak asked him curiously.

"I'm going to go visit her and see if she wants to come back." Ash informed him, "I did promise her after all."

"Alright Ash, I'll get your Pokémon sorted." Professor Oak told him and he left the room to go and retrieve the Poké Ball.

"Make sure you tell your mother that you are leaving, Ash." Tracey reminded him. Ash could be quite forgetful after all, especially when he is excited.

"Yeah!" Ash nodded fiercely. His mother would be so mad if he didn't.

After Professor Oak gave him Pidgeot's old Poké Ball, Ash and Pikachu immediately headed out to the forest where he had released Pidgeot.

* * *

**Forest**

"Pidgeot!" Ash called out as he and Pikachu walked along a thin dirt road surrounded by large trees.

"Chu pika!" Pikachu shouted walking beside Ash.

The two of them had arrived at the forest where Pidgeot was for a few minutes now and still they didn't see any sign of her.

"Do you think that she is still here, Pikachu?" Ash asked his starter worriedly.

Pikachu's ears perked up when he heard the sound of wings beating in the air and he spun around and with extreme excitement, he began pointing to the sky, "Pikachu pi pika!"

Ash spun around and, to his delight, he saw a familiar large bird Pokémon flying eagerly towards him. He heard her chirp happily and she landed gracefully only a few feet from them.

"You're looking stronger than ever, Pidgeot." Ash praised her and he softly petted the side of her neck. For such a tough looking Pokémon, it amazed Ash that her feathers were so soft. Pidgeot responded by biting Ash softly with her beak. Pikachu jumped excitedly onto her back, "Pika pika!"

Pidgeot chirped in reply and Pikachu laughed and not for the first time did Ash wonder what his Pokémon talk about.

A loud amount of chirping suddenly entered Ash's ears and he looked up to see a large flock of Pidgey, Pidgeotto and to Ash surprise, a couple of Pidgeots.

"Do you want to come with me, Pidgeot?" Ash asked her hopefully and he held out her old Poké Ball, "Or do you want to stay with your flock?"

Pidgeot answered by pressing her beak into the button of the Poké Ball, Pikachu quickly had to jump off her and she was sucked into it. The ball wiggled twice before it settled.

"Welcome home, Pidgeot." Ash smiled at the Poké Ball in his hand.

"Pi pika!" Pikachu said happily.

Now Ash realised why the flock of Pidgey, Pidgeotto and Pidgeot were here, to say goodbye to the one that had protected them from the Fearow and Spearow.

"I'll take good care of her." Ash promised them all.

* * *

**Ash's House**

Ash had informed his mother of his plans when he got home and she had been upset that he was leaving so soon, but she was very understanding. She knew that he was too adventurous to stay in the one place and Delia had a secret fear because of his adventurous spirit, he would never settle down. Either way, she still had a long time before she had to worry about that.

Ash currently found himself sitting at the phone dialling Brock's number.

"Hello, Harrison residence. This is Brock speaking." The familiar face of Brock appeared in the screen of the video phone.

"Hey, Brock... its Ash," Ash greeted him, "how are you doing?"

"Ash!" Brock said with some excitement, "Good to hear from you. Yeah everything's fine over here except for my mother trying to turn the gym into a water type gym."

"Really?" Ash said surprised, "I take it that you stopped it from happening."

"Yeah," Brock grinned at him, "and now my younger brother Forrest wants to be a rock type Pokémon expert and the gym leader of the Pewter gym."

"That's some big goals." Ash whistled impressed, "Considering that he is your younger brother, there is no doubt he will achieve them."

"Thanks Ash." Brock said appreciatively, "So what's happening on your end? Are you heading off to another region?"

Ash nodded, "Yeah, Pikachu and I are heading off to the Hoenn region tomorrow. I'm also taking Cyndaquil, Totodile and Pidgeot with me."

"Pidgeot's back?" Brock replied in surprise.

"Yeah," Ash grinned at him, "The flock is strong enough now that she wasn't needed. I've told Professor Oak just before I got home that whenever I send Pidgeot back here to let her out so she can go back to the forest. Whenever I need her, he will go and get her."

"That's a good idea." Brock approved, "Pidgeot will be able to get in some good training with its flock."

"That's what I thought." Ash told him, "Any chance you want to come with me to Hoenn?"

"I'd love nothing more to go travelling with you again, but right now I still have some responsibilities to take care of. If I can, I'll meet you somewhere in Hoenn." Brock informed him.

"How will you find me?" Ash asked him.

"I'll contact your mother and Professor Oak to let me know where you are." Brock explained, "Also make sure you keep in contact, you hear? If I can't make it, I still want to hear all about your journey."

"No problem." Ash promised him and then, after a moment's hesitation, Ash asked him a question, "Hey Brock, is travelling with me holding you back from your dream?"

"What? Where is this coming from?" Brock asked in puzzlement.

"It's just something that Gary told me." Ash admitted, "I'm just wondering if you're more focused on helping me than achieving your own dreams."

"Don't be ridiculous, Ash." Brock laughed at him, "Granted you could help out more when it comes to cooking and other chores like that, but I would never give up going on adventures with you unless I didn't have a choice. Being a breeder is something that I can do until I die of old age but exploring the world is something that I won't be able to do much of when I'm older. Plus I get to meet so many different people and Pokémon and I also learn new methods on treating Pokémon. Plus think of all the beautiful women that are just waiting for me to sweep them off their feet!"

Ash nodded in relief and he couldn't hold back the slight chuckle at Brock's final line, "Well if you do manage to come, I promise to do a bit more concerning cooking and the chores."

Brock nodded, "If I make it, I'll start teaching you how to cook, so when the time comes when you're on your own, you will be prepared."

"Thanks Brock." Ash smiled gratefully at him. He truly was fortunate to have such a good friend. Although Ash considered him more than a friend, he was the big brother that he never had.

Despite only being separated for a few days, Ash and Brock talked on the phone for a while before they finally departed.

The young trainer spent most of the night with his mother, Mr. Mime, Professor Oak and Tracey as they threw a quick going away party for Ash. During the night, Ash promised Professor Oak and Tracey that he intended to catch a few more Pokémon than he usually would and also that he planned to catch types that he hadn't caught before. Also his mother revealed that she had created a new set of clothes for him to wear. The young trainer felt guilty for leaving his mother again so soon, and he assured her that next time he came back home he would at least try to stay for a week, minimum.

It was past midnight when the party ended and Ash lay in his bed with Pikachu sleeping at the top right corner. The young boy couldn't sleep however and he got up carefully, he didn't want to wake Pikachu, and headed over to his desk. He turned on a lamp and pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen. Ash made a list of all the Pokémon that he had;

Pikachu

Bulbasaur

Charizard

Squirtle

Pidgeot

Kingler

Muk

Tauros x30

Snorlax

Heracross

Bayleef

Cyndaquil

Totodile

Noctowl

Phanpy

Ash looked over his list of Pokémon critically and he could see that Gary really was right. Most of his Pokémon really were the speedy powerful type and he didn't have much defensive power in his line up. He also remembered what Gary had said about him relying on Pikachu and Charizard too much and he hated to admit it, but he was correct again. Pikachu was his partner and constant companion and so it was natural for him to use him a lot. Also Charizard was one of his fully evolved Pokémon and with his training at the Charicific Valley, he was easily his strongest Pokémon.

That's why he needed to bring Cyndaquil and Totodile. They needed more training in order for them to evolve. Unlike Bulbasaur and Pikachu, the two of them had never expressed disinterest in evolving and so Ash believed that they just needed more training. Ash figured that Squirtle wouldn't evolve since he is the leader of the Squirtle squad and he assumed that they must have had some pact not to evolve.

Phanpy was one that he intended to train as well. However Ash decided to let him stay at Professor Oak's for a while, he was still just a baby after all. Ash would let him enjoy being young for a while before picking up his training. He noticed that Phanpy was his only ground type Pokémon and he knew that he would have to catch some ground types when he gets to Hoenn.

Ash looked at the x30 next to Tauros and he grimaced. Looking back he had to wonder what he was thinking back at the Pokémon Swap Meet. He had been offered an Onix, Nidoqueen and a Rhyhorn, and even Benny's Wobbuffet, which ended up in Jessie's hands, for his Tauros. He could have given them each a Tauros from the herd, they were just as strong as the one that he used, but for some reason he didn't. That would have given him far more variety to use in the Silver Conference.

Glancing at the others, Ash swore to himself that he would rotate his Pokémon more during his journey in Hoenn and give them all valuable experience.

The next morning after a big breakfast from his mother, Ash bade his mother farewell. He wore the new clothing that she had given him. He now wore a hoodie instead of a jacket, black gloves instead of green and new jeans and sneakers. He had a green backpack, with one pocket and a red Poké Ball design on it. He decided to keep his old hat; after all he had sent about a million postcards in order to win it.

Ash and Pikachu jumped onto Pidgeot's back and she eagerly flew them to Vermillion city where they had to take the boat to Littleroot town in the Hoenn region.

'_This time,'_ Ash promised himself, _'I will win the league... I will conquer Hoenn!'_

* * *

**End of Chapter**

**If you like it, then please leave behind a review. If you don't like it, then don't read it.**

* * *

**Okay this is a new Pokémon story that has been in my head for a while now but I have been putting it off. First of all, this is in no way connected to my other Pokémon story; Rise of a Legend. Secondly, I have not abandoned that story; in fact the next chapter of that one should be posted by the weekend. **

**When I eventually get up to the Hoenn saga in my Rise of a Legend series, I can promise you all that this will be far different. This story so far is only planned until the end of the Hoenn saga and depending on where I go with it and how well it is responded, I'll consider the Battle Frontier and then Sinnoh.**

* * *

**This will be an Advance Shipping story, but romance won't be a major factor. Also Brock will be travelling with Ash. Two reasons why he will be coming are; he is my favourite character and how the story diverts, I don't see how it affects Brock from coming. However since I am aging up the characters, Ash is 13 in this by the way, that leaves a quandary with Max. I'm aging May to 13 like Ash, but she is three years older than Max, that will make Max 10. That means that Max can become a trainer, so my question is, do you all want Max to be a trainer or should I keep him 7 years old and simply have May being six years older than him than three?**

* * *

**Also I know the moment with Team Rocket was out of character for Ash, but I needed a way for them to not bother with Ash anymore. I really cannot be bothered having them continuously show up and try to steal Pikachu. I hope you like the idea that Ash pointed out concerning Meowth. I mean, they have a talking Pokémon and Meowth is really the only one we have seen. Other from Pokémon using telepathy. So I figured that Team Rocket could use that to their advantage and get rich off it. They will appear again at some point in the story.**


	2. A New Companion

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon**

* * *

**In the first chapter I received 44 reviews, 130 favourites and 138 follows. That is incredible! Thank you to all those that reviewed, favourite-d and followed. I appreciate it immensely.**

* * *

**I haven't gone over the chapter just yet, so I apologise for any errors that you find and I will go over it in the next couple of days and fix up the mistakes. So if you see any major errors, please point it out to me.**

* * *

**Chapter 2 – A New Companion**

* * *

Ash sighed in relaxation as he lay on a comfortable blue deck chair with a wide yellow strip down the middle. The weather was perfect. It was shining brightly but it wasn't too hot. It was warm with a nice breeze... the perfect weather, Ash believed. He was currently sailing on a large titanic boat that departed from Vermillion city and headed towards Littleroot town. The young trainer from Pallet only had a pair of dark green swim trunks on and sitting next to him, on their own desk chair with an exact design to his own, was Pikachu and Cyndaquil. Both were curled up and resting comfortably under the favourable weather. The flames on Cyndaquil's were extinguished as he enjoyed the sun shining down on him. Ash had released Pidgeot from his Poké Ball and the large bird Pokémon was soaring through the sky taking in the beauty of the ocean. The energetic Totodile was currently playing a game of water volleyball with a group of teenagers, both male and female, in the pool that was set up in the middle of the deck. Ash wasn't surprised at how easily Totodile was able to worm himself into the game, the water Pokémon was far too energetic to not get caught up in it.

Ash looked up to see the brown haired captain in a navy uniform walk by with his Machoke following a few feet behind him.

"Excuse me, Captain," Ash asked him politely, "but do you know when we will be reaching Littleroot town?"

The Captain looked thoughtful for a moment and he answered, "If we keep up this pace, I believe we will arrive tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay," Ash smiled gratefully at the Captain, "thank you."

"Is this your first time heading to the Hoenn region, young man?" the Captain asked the young trainer curiously.

"Yeah it is," Ash said with clear excitement in his voice, "I'm really excited!"

"All by yourself?" the Captain said in some surprise, "Does it not get lonely travelling on your own?"

"Nah," Ash shrugged it off easily, "not when I have my buddy Pikachu here," Ash reached over and gave Pikachu a soft pet on the ear, much to the electric mouse's delight, "and then there is all of my other Pokémon. I'm never alone."

"I see... you and your Pokémon must be very close friends for you to feel that way." the Captain noted with a smile.

The two of them chatted for a little bit before the Captain had his own duties to attend to. Ash smiled and he looked over towards the swimming pool where Totodile had just scored the winning point and he was now dancing around happily only a few feet from him. Suddenly two teenage girls, roughly at the age of sixteen walked past the area where Ash had been sitting and in an instant, Ash felt more confusion that he had ever felt. When they had walked past, Ash noticed that they were very pretty looking and suddenly his eyes instinctively lowered to their chests. One of them had a relatively large chest trapped in a tight looking blue bikini while the other one had a slightly smaller chest. A blush formed on Ash's face and he quickly looked away unfortunately the next thing he saw was another female teen bend over to pick up something and Ash got a good look at her covered yet nicely curved backside.

Somewhere in Pewter city, a dark skinned upcoming Pokémon breeder suddenly grinned proudly. He had a feeling that his best friend, and little brother figure, was just starting to become a man; finally.

Ash sat up sharply and he raised his hands up to his eyes and he rubbed his face harshly. What on earth was wrong with him? He was suddenly feeling quite hot and it made him uncomfortable.

Ash quickly looked over to Totodile and he called out to the energetic water type, "Totodile, please hit me with Water Gun."

Both Pikachu and Cyndaquil immediately dived off the chair they were sitting on and they scurried over to a spot where they wouldn't get wet. They had no idea why Ash suddenly wanted to get wet on such a nice warm day.

Totodile didn't have any questions on why Ash wanted to get soaked and he eagerly unleashed a torrent of water at Ash. As energetic as he may be, Totodile knew how to hold back enough power to not hurt his beloved master with his Water Gun. Ash barely contained the shriek from the cold of the water he was hit with but once Totodile finished, the tactic seemed to work. He no longer felt all hot and bothered and he would have to remember that in the future if it ever happened again. Although Ash hoped that what just happened would only be a onetime thing.

He glanced around to see many people looking in his direction. Some were looking confused at his actions. A few teenage boys were smirking knowingly while a few male adults gave him sympathetic looks having been in his situation when they were a younger. A few teen girls giggled slightly. The two girls that had walked past him earlier were among them. Apparently Ash hadn't been very discreet when he checked them out.

They boy that had stared down the powerful Mewtwo, fought against the legendary bird Pokémon and had even dressed as a girl, blushed in embarrassment and he quickly headed towards the cafeteria. Totodile, Cyndaquil and Pikachu quickly followed their trainer in confusion.

* * *

**Littleroot town**

* * *

Just as the Captain had predicted the previous day, the boat arrived safely at the port in Littleroot town. As Ash gathered up his supplies, he was dressed in the clothes that his mother had made for him. He was able to fit in another two sets in his backpack along with the other necessities. Pikachu was sitting comfortably on his left shoulder, and he had his Poké Balls, which contained his other Pokémon, strapped to his belt.

"Okay buddy, are you ready to begin another adventure?" Ash asked his beloved companion determinedly. The embarrassment that he had felt the previous day was long behind him and he was now focused and excited for the challenge of trying to conquer the Hoenn region.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed in equal determination. Just like Ash, he yearned to win a Pokémon League for not only Ash, but for him and his fellow Pokémon. Pikachu felt that he didn't live up to the expectations that Ash expected of him in their last Pokémon League Tournament even though his trainer assured him countless times that he was proud of his performance.

Moments later, Ash stepped off the ramp and onto the cement road of Littleroot town. He had just taken his first step in the Hoenn region and he felt a thrill run through his body just like when he arrived in the Orange Islands and Johto for the first time. While seeing different kinds of Pokémon and experiencing new Pokémon battles were always his major interest, he also loved the thrill of seeing new locations and new sceneries.

"I think it is time to head out to Professor Birch's laboratory. After everything I have heard about the man from Harrison, I am quite anxious to meet him." Ash said to Pikachu and his partner squeaked in agreement.

"Pi?" Pikachu asked his trainer when Ash didn't move. The young trainer from Pallet glanced at his starting Pokémon with a sheepish grin and he asked, "I don't suppose you know the way, do you?"

The electric mouse just responded with a dull look.

Ash rubbed the back of his head in confusion before he clicked his fingers in realisation, "I know!"

Ash pulled out a Poké Ball from his belt, "We will just fly on Pidgeot and find the laboratory from the sky. It would have to be pretty noticeable, wouldn't it?"

"Pika!"

Only moments later, Pidgeot took to the skies eagerly with her trainer on her back but she had to restrain herself from flying at a fast pace so Ash didn't tighten his hands on her feathers. Just like Ash had predicted, Professor Birch's laboratory was quite easy to spot and Ash noticed that it had many similarities to Professor Oak's lab.

* * *

**Route 101**

* * *

Riding happily towards Professor Birch's lab on her cycle was a 13 year old brunette girl. She wore a red t-shirt with a dark blue circle around her neck, dark blue bike shorts and a white skirt. She also wore red and yellow sneakers, a red bandanna with a white Poké Ball print, a yellow waist pack, and dark-blue and white gloves.

Her name is May and after delaying her Pokémon journey for three years, she was now on her way to Professor Birch's lab in order to get her first Pokémon. May didn't really like Pokémon and she tended to avoid her father's Pokémon but she was really interested in travelling. That brought her to this point in time, in order for her to travel the Hoenn region becoming a Pokémon trainer was the best way to do it.

Just when she was starting to get close to where her father had told her Professor Birch's lab was when she suddenly heard a loud shout for help. May decided to cautiously ride off in the direction that the pleas were coming from and she stopped at the top of a small grassy hill. Looking down she saw a man holding desperately onto a branch and a pack of small grey hyena looking Pokémon and they were all barking angrily at him. May recognised the man since she had known him since she was a child.

"Professor Birch?" May called out to him.

Birch looked up to see May on top of the hill, "Terrific, it's you May! Great timing, please open that bag over there!"

May blinked before she looked to her left and saw a small dark brown bag lying on the grass a few feet from her.

"This one here, right?" May asked him as she approached it.

"Yes! Grab anyone of the Poké Balls inside and hurry!" Birch said urgently.

"That's easier said than done." May said nervously after she opened the bag and she could see three Poké Balls resting on folders in the bag. "Which one do you want?"

"Anyone will do!" Birch shouted hurriedly.

"Okay... this one!" May closed her eyes and she picked up a random one. She immediately threw it into the air and the Pokémon was released from it. Out of the Poké Ball appeared a small amphibious quadruped Pokémon with a blue body and a light-blue underside. It has a large head with a blue fin on top, and a light-blue tail fin. It has black, beady eyes and orange, star-shaped gills on its cheeks.

"Great!" Birch cheered, "It's a Mudkip!"

"That's good," May told him as she watched the little creature shake its head, "now what should I do?"

"Call out one of its attacks!"

"Okay... which is?" May asked him in confusion.

"Just say use Water Gun now!"

May stood up after she had crouched down to the bag and she told Mudkip dully, "Got it, use Water Gun."

The small mud fish Pokémon obeyed the order but not in the way that she had wanted. It simply sprayed her in the face with a torrent of water it had unleashed from its mouth.

"Is that supposed to happen?" May asked in annoyance after she wiped her face.

Birch released a large sigh but unfortunately for him, the branch suddenly gave way under his weight and he fell hard onto the ground. He immediately got up and he began running around as the Poochyena started chasing him.

"Mudkip! This way!" Birch shouted, "Over here!"

Mudkip nodded obediently and it jumped off the hill and onto the ground not far from the Poochyena. Birch ran to its side and he said, "Use Water Gun on the Poochyena!"

"Mud..!" Suddenly the Poochyena looked nervous, "KIP!"

The small fish Pokémon unleashed a torrent of water at the Poochyena trio and the force of the water pushed them back. The moment that they were able to get back up they hurried off.

"Not bad." May commented.

"Thank you, Mudkip." Professor Birch said gratefully and he returned the Hoenn starter Pokémon back into its Poké Ball. The professor then looked up to the cliff where May was standing.

"Thanks for all of your help May." Birch told her sincerely.

"Oh it was nothing!" May waved him off with a large grin.

"You've really grown up since I last saw you, May." Professor Birch acknowledged.

"Professor just what were you doing? Why were you up that tree?" May couldn't help but question him.

Birch rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I was doing some of my research on the Zigzagoons but then I accidently stumbled on this pack of Poochyena."

"You should be more careful then." May frowned at him.

"I'll keep that in mind." Birch chuckled before he was silenced when he remembered why she was here in the first place, "That's right! You're here for your first Pokémon, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am." May answered him nervously.

"I'm surprised that I didn't see you three years ago for your first Pokémon." Birch noted curiously.

"I just didn't feel ready enough to go out and travel around the world." May replied, _'Plus I am a lot more tolerant to Pokémon than I was three years ago.' _She thought internally.

"Just let me find a way back up there and I'll officially give you your first Pokémon." Birch told her and he immediately went off to search for a way up the small cliff. It took him five to ten minutes to finally find a way back up and he immediately called out the three Pokémon that he had on him.

One was of course the Mudkip that May had recently called out. She knew that it wasn't the one that she would pick considering that it just sprayed her with a Water Gun moments ago.

Another was a small, green, bipedal reptilian Pokémon. It had yellow eyes with long, narrow pupils and it had a large, dark green tail with two separate lobes. It had a twig in the side of its mouth and it gave her an unimpressed look with its arms folded across its chest. Professor Birch explained that this was the grass type Pokémon, Treecko. May thought that it was kind of creepy looking.

The final Pokémon that Professor released from its Poké Ball was a small, chick Pokémon with stubby, downy, yellow wings. Its body was covered with orange feathers and it had an orange and yellow crest on its head that resembled a flame. Its two thin legs and short beak are a light brownish yellow colour, and its feet have three toes in front and one in the back. Birch explained that this was the fire type Pokémon, Torchic.

"These are the three starting Pokémon here in the Hoenn region." Professor Birch explained to the young teen, "You can select whichever one that you would like."

"Okay." May said timidly as she looked over the three Pokémon.

"If I may give you some advice May," Birch said carefully, "The best Pokémon that you start with depends on several things. The first and most important thing is that you pick the Pokémon that you feel most comfortable with. That is really important. If there is more than one of them that you feel comfortable with then you have decide which will help you achieve your dreams easier. If you want to take on the Gym challenge, then I would advise you pick either Treecko or Mudkip. However if you want to do something else, then I would go with Torchic. A fire Pokémon will be a big help to you until you reach Rustboro city. By then you should have other Pokémon to help you."

"So what you're saying is that it will be easier if I started with Torchic?" May asked for clarification.

"If you don't intend to take on the gyms, then yes, I believe it would." Birch answered her.

May looked at the Torchic thoughtfully when suddenly the little fire Pokémon scurried over to her and began rubbing its head on her leg.

"Well this one is cute. Okay, I'll choose this one." May said happily and she gently lifted up the excited Pokémon.

"Okay now all I have to do is give you a Pokédex." Professor Birch told her after he returned Treecko and Mudkip back into their Poké Balls. He froze however when he couldn't find one in his pockets and he suddenly remembered something incredibly important.

"What's the time?!" Birch demanded to no one in particular and he quickly checked his PokéNav. "Oh! I'm late! This always happens when I work in the field!"

"What's wrong?" May asked him and she returned her Pokémon back into its Poké Ball.

"I forgot my son is starting his journey today as well!" Professor Birch groaned, "I was supposed to be at the lab 20 minutes ago to give him his starting Pokémon. Come on we have to hurry!"

May was impressed at how quickly the Professor ran but she was easily able to take over the Professor and the two of them hurried to his laboratory.

* * *

**Professor Birch's Lab**

* * *

Ash walked up to the double glass door and on the right side of the wall next to the door was a buzzer. The young trainer from Pallet had returned Pidgeot back into her Poké Ball when she landed and now he and Pikachu were eager to meet Professor Birch. He wondered if he would be anything like Professor Oak or Professor Elm. He hoped he didn't ramble on like Professor Elm did.

Suddenly the glass door shot open and it slammed into his face. Ash yelped in pain and he held his nose tightly, it had taken most of the hit. Fortunately it wasn't bleeding but Ash could feel the instinctive tears form in his eyes.

"Oh I'm sorry," Ash opened his eyes to see a boy roughly the same age as him at the door, "I thought you were for my father for a moment and I allowed my frustration to get the better of me."

"Don't worry about it." Ash shrugged him off. He did sound quite apologetic after all.

Wiping away the tears that had built up in his eyes, Ash took notice of the boy in front of him. The boy wore an orange t-shirt that had thick black stripes that covered the bottom part of his torso and separated up to his sleeves. He wore black pants that seemed to be covered by a thicker pair of black shorts that stopped just below his knees. He also wore orange finger-less gloves with green wristbands and he wore the strangest looking hat. It looked like he had white hair that was being held up with a green headband however Ash noticed that he had black sideburns. He also had a green backpack with a single strap that went down from his right shoulder to his left hip.

"Who are you?" the boy inquired.

"I'm Ash from Pallet town. This is my buddy, Pikachu." Ash introduced and he signalled to his starting Pokémon that was standing a few feet away.

"Pika!" the electric mouse waved.

"I'm Brendan Birch." The boy said.

"So I take it you're Professor Birch's son." Ash assumed.

"That's right." Brendan nodded and with a grumble he added, "I've been waiting for my starting Pokémon for over 20 minutes now. I hate it when he is late to important events."

"You're getting your starting Pokémon?" Ash blinked in confusion, "Why now? Shouldn't you have gotten it a few years ago?"

Brendan smiled easily at the question, "Yeah, I could have got one four years ago but I decided to stick around with my dad and learn about as much about Pokémon as I could. I was content with that. However over the last few months I have desired to go out and battle the gyms and now I have decided to go out and do it. Did you start when you were ten?"

"Yeah I did." Ash replied.

"What Pokémon did you start with?!" Brendan asked eagerly. He hadn't met many people from the Kanto region, "Since you're from Pallet town that must mean that you got your starting Pokémon from _the_ Professor Oak! That means a Bulbasaur, Squirtle or Charmander!"

"I would have got one of them if I hadn't of been late the morning that I started my journey." Ash chuckled sheepishly, "However they were all gone and so I started with Pikachu here."

"Pikachu!" the electric mouse unleashed a victory pose.

"I look back on that day and I am thrilled that I was late that day." Ash smiled down at Pikachu, "By being late, I gained the greatest friend that I ever had."

Brendan grinned, he hoped that he and his starting Pokémon formed a bond like the one that Ash and Pikachu had.

"So what brings you to the Hoenn region?" Brendan asked him.

"I came here to compete in the Hoenn League!" Ash said passionately, "I've travelled through Kanto, the Orange Islands and Johto and now I want to battle in Hoenn. Not to mention all of the sights to see and Pokémon to discover and befriend."

"How did you go in the previous tournaments?" Brendan asked him eagerly.

"I finished in the top 16 in the Indigo Plateau, I won the Orange League and I finished in the top 8 in the Silver Conference." Ash informed him.

Brendan whistled impressed, "That's awesome! I definitely can't wait to battle you in the Ever Grande Conference!"

"The Ever Grande Conference?" Ash murmured, "Is that the Hoenn Championships?"

"That's right! It's the tournament when trainers have got all eight badges!" Brendan said with clear excitement in his voice.

The conversation between Ash and Brendan was cut short when May and Professor Birch came into view. May stopped her bike a few feet from them and she rested it against the wall of the laboratory. Ash and Brendan's attention was momentarily on her rather developed chest before they looked towards the Professor, who was panting quite heavily.

"You're late!" Brendan scolded his father, "I've been waiting for ages! How many times have I told you to set up an alarm whenever you go out to learn in the field?!"

"Quite a few times, I recall." Professor Birch said sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I just get so excited that tend to forget things like that."

"Whatever." Brendan smiled fondly, "Just give me my Pokémon, please! I want to finally start my journey!"

"Okay, okay, but first," Professor Birch looked over at the trainer that he had never seen before, "who might you be, young man?"

"I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet town." Ash introduced himself for the second time today.

Professor Birch's eyes lit up, "So you're the boy that Professor Oak was going on about," the Professor's eyes then travelled towards Pikachu, "and this must be Pikachu." Professor Birch approached Pikachu and he gently petted Pikachu under his chin.

"Chu..." Pikachu murmured in delight.

"Professor Oak told you about me?" Ash asked surprised.

May looked on from the side and she observed the two boys before her. She had to admit that she thought that they were kind of cute but the boy with that weird hat was really unattractive. However she paid more attention to the little electric Pokémon that was getting petted by Professor Oak. Despite her dislike for Pokémon, she couldn't help but find the little Pikachu adorable.

Professor Birch ceased his actions on Pikachu and he looked back at the trainer from Pallet town, "Yes, he rang me up last night and he told me that you were coming here. He went on about you all night."

"I'll have to talk to him about that." Ash muttered in slight embarrassment.

"Dad!" Brendan whined, "You can talk about this later after you have given me my Pokémon!"

Professor Birch sighed at his impatience. Ash couldn't help but grin. He didn't doubt that he would've been like that 3 years ago. He glanced at the girl standing a few feet away and Ash's curiosity got the best of him.

"Hello." Ash told her politely, "I'm Ash, who are you?"

"I'm May." The girl replied with a small smile.

"Are you here for your first Pokémon?" Ash questioned her with interest.

May held up her Poké Ball, "I got it a few minutes ago."

"Which one did you pick?" Ash couldn't help but ask her.

May smiled and she released her Torchic and Pikachu quickly scurried over when he saw it and the two of them immediately hit it off and began to play with each other.

Ash pulled out his Pokédex with interest and he scanned the Pokémon, "Torchic, the Chick Pokémon. It has a flame sac inside its belly that perpetually burns. It feels warm if it is hugged."

"Torchic, huh?" Ash grinned, "So this is the pre-evolved form of Blaziken." After his battle with Harrison, Ash had studied Blaziken as hard as he could so he would be better prepare the next time he faced one. He wondered for a moment if this is what Gary had been talking about. He didn't do the research before the match; he had just believed that his Charizard would be able to win.

May just nodded, she had no idea what a Blaziken was, after all.

Professor Birch released the remaining two Hoenn starting Pokémon which caught Ash's interest and he quickly scanned the two Pokémon with his Pokédex.

"Mudkip, the Mud Fish Pokémon. Mudkip uses the sensitive fin on its head to take radar readings of its surroundings."

"Treecko, the Wood Gecko Pokémon. Treecko are able to climb smooth vertical walls and use their thick tail to attack opponents. Since Treecko build their nests in large trees it is said that those trees will live a very long life."

Treecko was the Pokémon that really caught Ash's attention. He saw it look at Brendan with an indifferent look for a moment before giving him the same one. Ash had to admit, with the indifferent stance and the twig in its mouth, the grass Pokémon just screamed cool. Ash believed that it was a really strong and proud kind of Pokémon.

"I'll choose Mudkip." Brendan smiled at the water Pokémon. Mudkip grinned up at him in happiness. Brendan knew from that he was going to pick Mudkip from the get go. He had bonded somewhat with Torchic and the previous Treecko but he got along best with Mudkip. Speaking of Treecko, Brendan glanced at the one that his father had just caught a few days ago. Brendan didn't envy the trainer that picked up that Pokémon; it was a mean, proud and stubborn one.

"Okay now that is settled," Professor Birch declared after he handed Mudkip's Poké Ball over to his son, "I can give you and May your Pokédex."

He handed May and Brendan each a red Pokédex, "This device is kind of like a high-tech field guide, where data of Pokémon caught is written automatically."

"Thanks, dad."

"Thank you, Professor."

"It was nice meeting you," Brendan quickly said to May, even though they technically hadn't been introduced, "but I have to go. Nice meeting you too Ash! Bye dad!" With that, Brandon quickly ran home where his bike was so he could head out on his journey.

"That was rude." May puffed out her cheeks angrily. She decided that he wasn't cute at all.

"Sorry about him, he is just too excited to think about his manners." Professor Birch chuckled slightly.

Ash grinned but he was suddenly hit in the stomach by Treecko's tail and he fell painfully to the ground.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu yelled out angrily, "Pikachu pi pika!"

May and Torchic both took a few steps back fearfully and Treecko glanced at Pikachu before looking towards a confused Ash and he smirked. Professor Birch surprisingly didn't say anything and he just watched with interest.

"I see," Ash smirked back, "you want a battle, don't you?"

Treecko nodded and he turned towards Pikachu and he raised his fists.

"Go Pikachu! Quick Attack!"

Pikachu shot towards Treecko at an incredible speed, much faster than what Treecko had been expecting, and Pikachu slammed his body into Treecko's chest. The grass Pokémon skidded along the ground before he painfully got back to his feet. Ash immediately saw that there was a large gap in strength and speed between Pikachu and Treecko. That was to be expected, Treecko was for beginning trainers after all while Pikachu had years of experience with him. Treecko then tried to hit Pikachu several times with his tail but the electric mouse was far too agile for the grass Pokémon to land a hit.

May looked on with more interest than what she thought she would have and she was amazed at the change in Pikachu. Just moments ago it seemed to be a cute and lovable Pokémon but now it was tough and an amazing battler.

Eventually Treecko was sent sailing due to another one of Pikachu's Quick Attacks and it skidded towards May's bike.

"Use Thunderbolt, Pikachu!"

Pikachu unleashed a large wave of electricity towards Treecko, it wasn't at full power since Pikachu didn't want to hurt Treecko too badly, but Treecko was just able to dodge it. Unfortunately the electric attack went on to hit May's bike and deep fried it.

"My bike!" May screamed.

"You have got to be kidding me." Ash groaned, '_I hope she isn't like Misty when it comes to her bike.'_

"Pikachu, finish this up with another Quick Attack!" Ash quickly ordered his Pokémon.

Pikachu knocked out the inexperienced but proud Treecko with another speedy attack.

"You did really well." Professor Birch declared, "It was to be expected, of course. You have a strong Pikachu there Ash, just like Professor Oak told me. Also it is hard to believe that it didn't obey you at the beginning."

"The Professor told you about that?" Ash asked him in confusion.

"Wait! Pokémon can disobey their trainers?" May piped up.

"Of course they can," Ash told her, "they aren't robots, you know."

"Pokémon have feelings, their own dreams and their own desires. We are still trying to understand the different mysteries about Pokémon, from their feelings to their histories and the hidden legends." Professor Birch explained to May, "I didn't stop your battle with Treecko because of what I learned from Professor Oak about you. For you to get a starter that didn't obey you and then for you to gain its trust in a day, that takes some real skill to do. That is why I wanted you to battle Treecko."

"How does that relate to battling Treecko?" Ash asked him.

"I want you to take Treecko with you and when you battled it, you proved that you were strong enough to Treecko to take it." Professor Birch explained to him, "You see, I caught Treecko on Route 104 a few days ago. It was trying to protect a very old and large tree by itself after the rest of the Treecko had abandoned it. Unfortunately, after I spent a couple of days studying the behaviour of Treecko, the tree died when it suddenly split in two. Treecko desperately tried to fix it and Treecko went days without food in a desperate attempt to heal it but eventually Treecko collapsed in exhaustion. I had to catch it and after a trip to a Pokémon centre, I brought it back here. However it is angry and it didn't want to accept any of my help. I had hoped to give it to a trainer that would be able to break it out of its anger and bitterness but I knew that no beginning trainer would be able to do that."

"Wait a minute!" May cut him off, "If that's the case why did you give me and your son the option of picking him?!"

"I knew that Brendan wouldn't pick him," Professor Birch shrugged, "and if you had picked him, then I would have told you that you would have to wait until I could give you a different Treecko."

"So it really was just a choice between Torchic and Mudkip." May said dully.

"Pretty much." Professor Birch chuckled before he turned his attention back to Ash, "I told Professor Oak about the trouble I was having with Treecko and that is when he told me about you and Pikachu. So I know that you are the perfect person for the job."

"That sounds fine," Ash grinned at him, "I promise that I will help Treecko get over his anger and bitterness!"

Professor Birch smiled and he handed Treecko's Poké Ball over to Ash. The trainer from Pallet returned the unconscious Treecko back to its Poké Ball.

"Treecko isn't hurt too badly." Professor Birch told him and he pulled out a small bottle that said 'Potion' on the label, "Just spray it with this and let it rest for a while and Treecko will be as good as new."

"Thanks Professor." Ash said gratefully.

"Oh and May, before I forget," Professor Birch remembered and he pulled out six empty Poké Balls from his bag, "take these, May. These are your Poké Balls that allow you to capture wild Pokémon."

"Thank you, Professor Birch." May said appreciatively and she put them into her bag.

"Did you remember to give Brendan some Poké Balls?" Ash asked the Professor.

"No I didn't need to. He has a collection of Poké Balls he can use at home. Now you two will have to head to the nearest Pokémon centre that you can find in order to register for the Hoenn League." Professor Birch explained to them. "I believe the closest one is in Oldale town."

"Okay, thanks." Ash told him.

"Ah!" May sighed loudly and she brought her hands up and rested them on the back of her head, "Walking all that way makes me nervous and my bike was destroyed," May then gave Ash a quick glare, "thanks to your Pikachu." Ash and Pikachu grimaced, "There must be a solution," May pondered, "a way to get to Oldale town safely on foot... Hey! Why don't we go together? I happen to know the way there. Really Ash, it is no trouble really, shall we?"

"Pika!"

"Well, okay. We'll go together." Ash agreed.

May quickly turned her back to him and with a triumphant grin, she whispered, "Yes!"

Ash and Pikachu just looked confused at her behaviour.

"That is a good idea. You can look out for one another." Professor Birch concurred. "You all be careful out there."

"Don't worry, we will be. Thanks a lot." Ash assured him.

"Pika!"

"See you soon!" May waved to Professor Birch before they headed off.

* * *

**End of Chapter**

**If you like it then please review it. If you don't like it then don't read it.**

* * *

**Okay in this chapter we got moments where Ash started to notice girls differently. I honestly didn't know how to write a way for Ash to notice girls and to stay in character. After all, he has only actually showed interest in one girl and that was when he saw the picture of Giselle back in the early episodes of season 1. So I just used a personal experience of my own when I first started to notice girls. I hope it was acceptable.**

* * *

**Okay I have had many different reviews concerning Max. Some say I should make him a trainer and others say I should make him 7. There have also been suggestions that I should make Max 9 and then get his starting Pokémon the next year. There have also been requests to not have Max go at all. So how about this, there is a four year age gap between May and Max; 13 and 9. Max will travel with them throughout Hoenn and at the end; he will be old enough to start his own journey. So if I decide to continue this story beyond the Hoenn League, Max will not travel with them through Kanto. Instead he will travel Hoenn again. Sound good? This way with Max being real close to being a trainer he will pay a lot more attention to Ash's battle style and ask him a lot more questions about his battling style. The only question in that scenario is this... would it be better for Brock to go with Max or for him to go with Ash and May through the Battle Frontier? When Max does go off to Hoenn to compete, I won't show much of his journey, maybe just a few scenes here and there. This is mainly an Ash centric story after all.**

* * *

**I honestly didn't plan to bring Treecko into it so early but I didn't know another way for Pikachu to destroy May's bike because let's face it, Pikachu has to destroy the bike... its tradition. I could have had Brendan battle him but considering that Ash had told him about his previous achievements, Brendan would have known from the start that he would lose. So it wouldn't of made sense for him to battle Ash. Either way, Ash has got Treecko and he will have to find a way to help Treecko recover from the loss of his home.**

* * *

**I have also included Brendan in the story. He won't have a huge role, I just put him in as a way to generate some rivalry for Ash since he doesn't have any until he meets Morrison and by then he has eight badges. Also once Ash gets to the Hoenn League should bring back some of the characters that he fought in previous tournaments such as Ritchie, Jackson etc?**

* * *

**Answering the Readers:**

* * *

_**C:**__ I do like you making Jessie and James go legit ...I just hope Team Rocket ain't like the mafia were leaving is a really bad idea._

_**R:**__ I won't say much about it yet, but the major Team Rocket organisation will play little to no part in this story. You will see Giovanni's reaction to Jessie, James and Meowth's change in life a bit later on._

_**C:**__ Have May travel with Ash even after the Battle Frontier arc._

_**R:**__ If I do continue to write Ash's Sinnoh journey as a sequel to this is still up in the air. Right now I have no plans to go beyond the Hoenn arc. I want to see the response to this story before I plan too far and I have gotten a great response so far. It will be more likely than not that I will do Sinnoh at this rate._

_**Q:**__ Did the Pokémon Movies happen? If so, will the Latias from the 5th movie show up?_

_**A:**__ Yep, they happened. No, Latias will not show up._

_**Q:**__ Will you be writing the Pokémon movie 6 and up?_

_**A:**__ Movies 6 & 7: __Jirachi: Wish Maker & Destiny Deoxys; I will not be doing. I didn't really like those movies. Movies 8 & 9: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew & Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea; I will be doing._

_**C:**__ Please make ash trade his 29 Tauros._

_**R:**__ He will trade some of them, but I doubt he will be able to trade them all._

_**C:**__ Max is a great way make Ash mature. He is young and impressionable; forcing Ash to become a role model, especially if Brock points it out to him._

_**R:**__ You're right, he would. Max will aspire to a strong trainer like Ash, but it is Brock that takes him under his wing and mentors him. Max figures that he can learn a lot more about 'raising and caring' Pokémon from Brock than Ash._

_**Q:**__ Just out of curiosity, I know you mentioned that Ash and May will not be all lovey dovey, and stuff, but will Ash be a bit less clueless, I mean, it's quite obvious sometimes even in the anime how much May likes Ash, are you maybe going to get into that a bit more than the usual anime does?_

_**A:**__ This will not be an epic love story but yes, Ash will be less dense about things like attraction and stuff like that. As you would have noticed in this chapter, Ash is thirteen and has just began entering a very difficult stage in his life; puberty. Because of that, Ash will be more aware of girls and his feelings towards a select few. _

_**Q:**__ Do you have and update schedule though, just out of curiosity?_

_**A:**__ No, I don't. I'm not reliable with quick updates, I'm afraid. One thing I am trying to do is cut down the time it takes to update. My hope is that I can update this story once or twice a month. Unfortunately with life and other stories, it is quite hard to release regular updates. _

_**Q:**__ if he does, can you have him catch a few of the Pokémon he befriends in the series?_

_**A:**__ When Max becomes a trainer he will definitely catch some of the Pokémon he befriended throughout his journey with Ash and co._

_**Q:**__ Would Max even come with them if he was 10? He's really a very independent kid, and in the beginning at least he seemed like he wouldn't want to follow his sister who is afraid of Pokémon around if he could strike it out on his own._

_**A:**__ You are absolutely correct. That is why I have made Max nine and not eligible to become a Pokémon trainer yet but he will be eligible after the Hoenn League. He is independent but he will learn how much more valuable it is to travel with others._

_**Q:**__ James had that Growlithe didn't he? I mean I suppose that the Pokémon is registered to the parent/adult and it's transferred to the kid after they become 'of age' but... again why didn't Ash or Brock do that? Or May even?_

_**A:**__ Yes, James did have a Growlithe. The writers of the show simply didn't want to make Max a trainer nor give him his own Pokémon but the idea will definitely pop up in this story._

_**Q:**__ Why is it that most Hoenn re-writes are Advanceshipping?_

_**A:**__ I think the main issue about the Advance series is that they don't introduce any real female characters that connect with Ash at all until Anabel in the Battle Frontier. Since May is the only female that really connects with Ash throughout Hoenn and that is why she is usually chosen._

_**Q:**__ Can't he just stay at the Gym and be trained to be the Leader of it or something? Or do you have some form of plan for his character... other than being Ash's cheerleader that is?_

_**A:**__ Yeah I have plans for him and I am going to develop him a lot more than in canon._


End file.
